Lehigh County, PA
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Lehigh County has experienced 17 federally declared disasters since 1965, most recently Covid-19 in 2020. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Lehigh County's highest-rated hazards are cold wave, winter weather, and heat wave, with its top risk rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have decreased 16% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period. Community vulnerability is elevated (73rd percentile nationally), suggesting residents may face greater difficulty recovering from major disasters.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Lehigh County has been designated in 17 declarations since 1965, covering 6 disaster types including hurricane (5), snowstorm (3), flood (3).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2016 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm |
| 2013 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2011 | Flood | Remnants Of Tropical Storm Lee |
| 2011 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene |
| 2011 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene |
| 2005 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina |
| 2004 | Hurricane | Tropical Depression Ivan |
| 2004 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding Associated With Tropical Depression Frances |
Showing the 10 most recent of 17 total declarations since 1965.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries. A single disaster can produce more than one record per county. Data current through September 2026.
Risk by hazard type
| Hazard | Risk rating | Risk score | Recorded events | Deaths | Prop. damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Very Low | 30.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively High | 95.4 | 51 | 1 | $20.0M |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 89.8 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 96.5 | 5 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 87.4 | 5 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 90.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 38.8 | 38 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 95.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Very High | 98.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 78.2 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Very High | 98.9 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 95.7 | 4 | 0 | $20K |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 64.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 79.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 15.4 | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
Scores are 0–100 percentiles relative to all US counties — higher means more exposed, not that a disaster is likely this year. Event counts: NOAA Storm Events 2016–2026; earthquake counts from USGS ComCat (M3.0+, 1996–2026). See the methodology page for details.
Community vulnerability
Lehigh County ranks in the 73rd percentile (Moderate) for community vulnerability — a measure of how hard disaster impacts tend to hit residents. Higher vulnerability means more displacement, worse health outcomes, and slower recovery after a disaster.
| SVI theme | Percentile | Vulnerability level |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 73rd | Moderate |
| Socioeconomic status | 58th | Moderate |
| Household characteristics | 71st | Moderate |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 77th | High |
| Housing type & transportation | 75th | High |
Source: CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022. Percentiles compare counties nationally — higher means more vulnerable relative to other counties. See CDC SVI for full methodology.
Future risk outlook
| Wildfire metric | National percentile | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Burn probability | 22nd | Relatively Low |
| Risk to homes | 24th | Relatively Low |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 32.6% | — |
NOAA tracked 103 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 56 in 2016–20 vs 47 in 2021–25 (-16% — frequency decreasing).
Wildfire: USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities (RDS-2020-0016-2) — modeled values, not annual forecasts. See wildfirerisk.org. Inland flood and heat projections pending data availability; coastal sea-level projections are available for select coastal counties below — see the data page.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in Lehigh County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania are cold wave, winter weather, and heat wave. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Has Lehigh County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Lehigh County has received 17 federal disaster declarations since 1965, including declarations in 2020. The most common disaster type on record is hurricane (5 declarations).
Has Lehigh County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
No federal disaster declarations have been recorded for Lehigh County since the start of 2024. Its most recent declaration on record is Covid-19 in 2020.
How does Lehigh County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Montgomery County, PA has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively High) and Carbon County, PA has the lowest (Relatively Low). Lehigh County is rated Relatively Moderate overall.
How is Lehigh County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Lehigh County's composite disaster risk index — officially FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) — scores every US county on a 0–100 percentile scale across 18 natural hazard types, factoring in expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. Lehigh County's composite score of 94 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 94% of US counties.